Random Music News for Friday, February 12, 2016

Gravity waves? Einstein was right again. That makes music news a little less, well, universe-shattering. Still…

1. Here’s a great story on what it was like to rock in the Soviet Union. (“In the Soviet Union, the party finds you!”)
2. This is a cool look inside Capitol Records’ recording studio in LA via Periscope.
3. Interesting: a record label has opened a record store. Kinda like what Jack White did, huh?
4. This composer creates music just to soothe cats.
5. April Wine leader Miles Goodwyn is working on his memoirs for Harper Collins. (April Wine was a longtime guilty pleasure of mine.)
6. A Richmond Hill, Ontario, man is up for a Grammy Monday for best historical album.
7. Gwen Stefani has another solo album, so the rest of No Doubt has formed a new group with the singer from AFI.
8. A 50th anniversary Woodstock show? It’s in the works for 2019.
9. Barry Manilow (he’s 72) is not well. He’s back in hospital.
10. Bruce Springsteen agreed to write a memoir. Look for the book September 27.
11. MTV is trying really, really hard to reboot MTV News.
12. Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson is a really nice guy. He flew an endangered turtle to Spain. You read that right. (Via Tom)
13. Pandora, the Internet radio service that Canadians can’t get (and the company that bought and then folded Rdio), is apparently looking for a buyer. Who would buy them? Hey, it brought in $1.16 billion last year.
14. The Bataclan, scene of that horrible massacre back on November 13, is being renovated.